After listening to Grey Beard's report, Kent instructed Splitting Blade to gather the core members of the guard squad on the third floor.
The group sat in a circle before him. These were Kent's trusted guards, joined by a giant and Water Stream, who was inexplicably invited by Kent to attend this peculiar meeting. She sat beside him, looking puzzled.
In the middle of the circle were two ordinary-looking boxes.
Seated at the head of the group, Kent looked at his usually carefree subordinates and couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions.
"Splitting Blade, open the boxes," Kent ordered.
Splitting Blade nodded, stepped forward, and opened the boxes. There were no locks. As the lids lifted, everyone's eyes lit up.
Inside were two boxes filled with gold coins, glinting with a dark golden hue. Even from a distance, without examining the coins closely, Splitting Blade could tell they were the standard currency of the Highlands, not the crudely minted coins typical of the border regions.
"These two boxes of gold coins are to fulfill the profit-sharing promise I made to you all earlier. Although it was a verbal agreement, I intend to honor it," Kent said, scanning the group. Their delighted expressions and the satisfaction notifications from his system confirmed their excitement. "Each of you will receive 1,000 gold coins. Splitting Blade, you'll handle the distribution after the meeting."
"Heh, boss, you're truly generous," one of them remarked. The group exchanged excited glances, barely containing their joy.
What did 1,000 gold coins mean? Back when they served as royal guards in the Wild Tribe, they earned only ten gold coins per month—a considerable income. For most tribal members, who rarely had expenses, ten gold coins could sustain a household for an entire year.
One thousand gold coins equaled a decade's worth of earnings.
"Hey, I'm not one of your employees," Water Stream suddenly interjected.
"Of course not. This is your reward for helping me eliminate Blood Hammer," Kent replied, having anticipated her reaction. "Your efforts were key to securing the territory. Besides, Blood Rose will be moving here soon..."
"Really? The Blood Rose Raiders… the band of rogue heroes? Water Stream, are they really relocating?"
The guards, typically brash and insolent, suddenly straightened up in respect.
After all, they often found themselves at the receiving end of Water Stream's combat lessons. Nobody dared disobey her.
Who could blame them? Water Stream was Kent's personally appointed combat instructor for the group.
Water Stream rolled her eyes at Kent. What a strange man, she thought, so eager to give away money. Still, she didn't refuse. The gold would help improve life for her sisters in the Blood Rose adventuring group.
"We'll handle the coin distribution later," Kent said, steering the meeting back on track. "Now, I want to discuss our development plans."
The group's attention shifted to Kent.
"Our armed caravan is newly established, and it will take some time to prepare for trade with the Red Tiger Tribe, especially with the bison meadow fortress still under construction. Right now, although we have a stockpile of resources seized from Blood Hammer's camp, we can't rely on that alone. The territory now has a population of 3,000, and we must sustain them."
"Boss, are you worried about food shortages?" Splitting Blade asked.
"Food is one concern, but I'm more worried about when the Tiger Tribe might wage war. We need to prepare sufficient resources before that happens. Grey Beard mentioned that a traveling caravan should arrive soon. Besides purchasing food, slaves, and skilled workers from them, we'll need to make additional preparations. Dry Leaf, gather materials for trade, focusing on coal furnaces and star-pattern paper. Keep the enchanted armor secret for now; we won't trade it with the Highland Alliance yet."
"Got it, boss," Dry Leaf replied.
"You may have noticed some new buildings near the entrance to the wall. The largest one, Fatty Bull, will be yours to manage," Kent said, turning to the giant seated on the floor.
"Huh?" Fatty Bull looked bewildered. "Boss, what am I managing?"
"A tavern…" Kent chuckled. "The Giant Tavern."
"What?"
"The Giant Tavern?"
"Boss, you're really giving Fatty Bull a tavern!"
"Congratulations, Fatty Bull!"
The surprise left Fatty Bull overwhelmed. His eyes turned red, and he waved his hands in disbelief, unable to find the words to express his gratitude.
"The sign will go up soon. You can recruit staff from the territory. As for the recipes I've taught you…" Kent enjoyed seeing his people realize their dreams. "Practice them well. Don't ruin my reputation."
"Don't worry, boss!" Fatty Bull pounded his chest in response.
"Boss, you're teaching him cooking, but what about drinks?" Splitting Blade asked.
"Ah, I knew you lot were waiting for the booze. It's already arranged. You'll get to taste the new brew soon enough," Kent laughed.
"Haha, in the Highlands, good liquor is a treasure. If you can brew something better than dwarf spirits, I'll bring my entire tribe here," Scar said.
"Noted," Kent replied. "Scar, I have a task for you and Spot."
Kent handed a notebook of star-patterned paper to Scar and Spot.
"This contains designs for a special weapon—giant crossbows designed to target massive beasts. They'll be mounted on the walls."
"Crossbows?" Scar asked, flipping through the sketches.
"Yes, and their testing must be kept confidential. Oversee the assembly process personally to ensure there are no errors."
"Understood, boss," Scar and Spot replied in unison.